Electric water-heater.



M. H. SHOENBERG.

ELECTRIC WATER HEATER. APPLICATION man Auaxzr. 19u.

Patlltd D00. 4, 1917L .5'2"

Shun/1to1 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.-

MILTON H. SHOENBERG, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO :MAJESTIC ELECTRIC DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA. i

ELECTRIC WATER-HEATER.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4, 191'?.

Application led August 27, 1917. Serial No. 188,421.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON H. SHOEN- BERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Water-Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric heaters r1() especially intended for heating water, but

which may be adapted for other purposes.

One object of my invention is to provide a water heater which is exceedingly simple in constructionand mayl be readily assembled and installed by unskilled labor. A further purpose is to provide a heating lchamber which is entirely inclosed by electrodes through which an electrolytic action may be obtained without decomposition of the electrodes. Again it is my purpose to provide a heater which may be continuously connected to the source of electric current without endangering the electrodes and in which the flow of current will automatically cease when the water supply is shut olf.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a water heater embodying my invention and showin themanner of attaching it to a faucet; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken at right angles to Fig. 2, and on the line 3 -3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the insulating sleeve or bushing inclosing the socket terminals; Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view showing another manner yof connecting the electrodes; and Fig. 7 is a top plan view thereof.

The outside metal container or casing is referably stamped from sheet metal, the front member 2 being a flat rectangular piece with the lower end bent to form the bottom 2; and the rear member being bent into a trough or square-angle V-shape forming the back 3 and sides 3a, the upper edge having inwardly extending ears or lugs 3b which are provided with threaded openings to receive the screws 1 by which the top member 6 is secured. The latter is preferably formed of hard rubber or other suitable insulating material and is provided with apertures through which the plug contacts 7 project and are provided with depending contact members 8 which are adapted to contact respectively with the electrode plates 10 and 12.

A bar l5 is soldered, welded, or otherwise integrally secured to the outer side of the front plate 2 and is provided with upper and lower channels 17, 17,- having lateral branches which register with apertures in the plate 2. A spout 20 is threaded or otherwise secured to the upper end of the bar in connection with the passage 17 and an an- 65 nular connection, which may be formed of two parts 21, 21a is threaded to the lower end of the bar l5 and in connection with the passage 17 a, the outer end of the part 21a being threaded to engage athreaded aperture in the adjustable block 25 of the clamp by which the water heater is attached to a faucet. One form of my attachment clamp .is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and comprises a yoke member 26 having a stationary pin 75 or pointed stud 27 in one yoke arm and an. adjustable screwr28 threaded in the other arm, whereby the yoke member may be clamped to a faucet 30. The adjustable supporting member 25 may then be forced up- 8@ wardly by turning the screw 31 to bind the gasket 32 tightly against the lower edge of the faucet.

The electrodes consist of rectangular plates 10 and 12 of charcoal, carbon, graph- 85 ite or other suitable material through which an electrolytic action may be obtained and which will not be decomposed.' The plate 12 is provided with apertures 12a adj acent the upper and lower ends'which regis- 90 ter with the apertures in the plate 2 and the passages 17, 17a.

When the parts are assembled a sheet of rubber 40 is lirst placed against the inner surface of the front casing plate 2 and is 95 provided with apertures which aline with the apertures in the plate leading into the passages 17,' 17a. The electrode plate 2 is then laid against the rubber sheet 40 and over this is placed a rubber sheet 11 having 100 the entire central portion lout out so as to leave only. a narrow margin forming a frame around the four sides, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3. When the other electrode 10 is placed against this .framing sheet 41, a water chamber 43 is formed between the two electrodes and surrounded upon the four edges by the rubber frame 41 with an entrance and eXit through' the passages 17 and 17 respectively. An insulating rubberwllv is placed upon the opposite side oi ctrode l0, after which the paris are .fded by tile shell casing member which is securely clamped to the front plate 2 by means of bolts llo. lvlhen the insulating 'top no inber 6 is secured in position by means of the screws fi, the contact plugs i" will be brouffht into electrical connection with 'the electrodos by the engagement of the depending contact strips 8.

l have found it convenient to 'assemble the electrodes and secure them together to form a uniti and to provide each electrode with a projecting connecting wire? so that this unitary structure may bc readily inserted in the casing. For this purpose l groove tbc top and bottom ends of the electrode plates, as indicate at l, in Figs. (i and 7, and pass a conductor Wire 55j around the edge oit' the plates7 the grooves holding them in position, and twist the tree upper ends together to form terminals, which may be .inserted in 'the hollow terminal connectors 7, as shown in liig. 6. After placing the two plates together with the insulating marginal frame packing member el, interposed to form the inner heating chamber 13, these parts may be held t' 'l er as a unit by coating the with shellac varnish the shellac. coatover the wire 55, also forming an insu- .a protective covering. thus binding the electrodes and interposed rubber separating-frame into unit, and with the connecting wires surrounding each plate having their projecting ends twisted for insertion into the connectors, the work of assembling the heaters is greatly facilitated.

Any suitablesocket may be employed to connect the heater with the socket or" any electric light iixture or other conductors `connected with an electric source. F or this purpose l have provided terminal connecting device which is thoroughly insulated and when connected to the heater leaves no connecting member exposed. This 'terminal connecting member comprises a hard rubber terminal socket provided with apertures 'to receive the socket teriiinals 5l to which the ends or the flexible conductors 52 are secured, an intermediate ilenible rubber sleeve 53 and an outer hard rubber errule 54. As previously stated9 this insulating terminal member completely incases the conductors and when in position on the heater, leaves no exposed conducting wires.

The operation of the heater `:will be understood from the foregoing description of the parts7 is as `followsz- As the water enters the chamber 43 from the inlet passage 17a, it is spread out into a comparatively thin sheet which is easily' heated by the passage oi' the electric current from one electrode plate l0 to the other plate l2, the water forming the conducting medium between the rEhe tem- :Een

fia

recesses perature of the water flowing out through the spout 2O may be varied and easily regulated by causing the water to flow with greater or less rapidity, determined by the amount the spigot is turned. lnasinuch as the water chamber 43 is entirely inclosed by the inner Walls of the electrodes and by the surrounding rubber frame 4l, While the electrodes arc completely insulated from the outer metal casing, there can be no electrolytic action between the water and the metal casing as may be the case where the water is contained in a metal reservoir or casing with the electrodes immersed therein. The electrodes ol" carbon or graphite are not decomposed or clcctrolytically affected by the passage of the current and are, therefore, practically indestructible. When the water is turned olf, the small amount of water remaining in the chamber 423 is quickly evaporated by boilinoso that the electrical connection between t e'electrodes is interrupted and the flow of electric current thus automatically ceases. My electric heater is thus self-regulating and automatic in its action and does not require the use of aux iliary fuses or other current protectors which are necessary with prior devices in order to protect the electric heating coils from being burned out in case the iiow oi' water is cut oli'.

The extreme simplicity of the heater and the parts which enter into its construction will be appreciated by those who are familiar with electric Water heaters and its indestructibility and the automatic regulation of the current which ceases to flow when the water is shut 0H', thereby permitting the heater to be continuously connected to the electric supply if desired, will be especially appreciated by those who have been subjected to the annoyance and expense :ittendant upon the use of prior devices which are liable to be burned out in case the Water was accidentally turned 0H without simultaneously cutting olf the electric current. l have described the construction illust-rated in the accompanying drawing in detail for the purpose of clearly disclosing an embodinient of my invention but it Will be evident 'to engineers that various changes and modiiications may be made Within the scope of my claims and without in any manner den parting from niyyinvention. l have shown the heater provided with a single pair of electrodes, but in case it is desired to increase the capacityv in larger heaters, a number of such pairs of electrodes may be employed the plates being connected in parallel so as to increase the current-carrying surface or capacity.

l claim l. An electric fluid heater, comprising casing or container provided with inlet and outlet openings, electrode plates within said casing and insulated therefrom, and an insulating packing frame separating said plates and forming a liquid-tight joint around the margins thereof to thereby forma chamber between the electrodes, one of said electrode plates having openings adapted to aline with said openings in the casing.

2. An` electric fiuid heater, comprising a casing or container provided with inlet and outlet openings, non-metallic electrode plates within said casin and insulated therefrom,

A an insulating ac ing frame separating said plates vand orming. a liquid-tight joint 4' around the margins thereof to thereby form a chamber between the electrodes, one of said electrode plates having openings adapted to aline with said openings in the casing, and y tubular vinlet and outlet members connecting respectively with the openings inthe casing. 3. An electric fluid heater, comprising a casing having separable front andrear parts, one of said parts being provided with inlet andvoutlet openings, carbonaceous electrode plates clamped between said casing parts with insulatin means interposed between the plates an said parts, an insulating marginal packing separating said plates and-thereby forming an inclosed heating chamber, one of the plates having openings alining withv said openings in the casing, and means adapted to form electrical connections with said plates.

chamber, one of the plates having openings v alining with said openings in the casing.

5. Inv an electric fluid heater as defined in claim 3, a separable member forming the top of the casing and provided with contact devices adapted to connect with the electrode plates.

6. In an electric fluid heater as denedfin l claim 4, a separable member forming the top of the casln and provided with contact devices adapte' to engage the electrode plates, and a clamping device provided with a passage or channel in communication with the` inlet opening and having means for attachment to a faucet.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MILTON H. SI-IOENBERG. 

